Combined tongue and shoe-lace fastener



March 1,1927.

COMBINED TONGUE AND SHOE LACE FASTENER Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADELBERT D. WINN, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

COMBINED TONGUE AND SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

Application filed June 18, 1926. .Serial No. 116,920.

vMy invention relatesl to vimprovements in that form of shoe fastening means which provides for the holding of the shoe tongue in a definite centralized position. It is the 6 primary object of the invention to provide a novel means whereby both the tongue and laces will be held against slipping even should the shoe laces become untied.

The invention also contemplates a very 10 simple arrangement of vthis character which will be readily applicable to both high and 10W shoes with but a minimum of expense.

The foregoing and other features of novelty will be readily appreciated upon reading the following description of the now preferred embodiment of the invention which is disclosed in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. I am aware that various' changes may be made in the structure as disclosed without departing from the invention as claimed hereinafter. f

In the drawings, y Figurel is a perspective view of a shoe incorporating my invention, the lacing being loosened to better illustrate the relative arrangement of the tongue eyelet or openings to the eyelets or openings of the upper;

3 side of the tongue illustratedy in Fig. 1 with the lacing applied;

Fig. 3 is a'perspective .view showing a slightly diderent relative arrangement of y -the`lacing, and

tion wherein the shoe tongue is provided with two eyelets through which the laces are,`

Cit

square formation. The upper pair of eyelets `are designated by reference-characters 4 and 5, respectively, while the lower pair are designated by reference characters 6 and. 7, respectively. ThereV is provided centrally of the square designed by the eyelets afore- Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the rear 10 is passed through* tongue eyelet 7 and YFig. 4 isa perspective view` of a shoeshoW- ing a slightly modifiedA form of the invenmentioned, an eyelet 8. The usual shoe laces are indicated by 9 and 10.

In the arrangement of Fig. l, it is observed that the lace 9 is passed through the shoe tongue eyelet 6 from the outside thereof, and is pulled out from beneath the tongue through the eyelet 8 from whence it is led to the top eyelet 2 at the right hand side of the shoe upper as viewed in Fig. 1. The other lace l() is inserted inwardly through the shoe tongue eyelet 7 and crosses the lace 9 at the site of the cent-ral eyelet 8, this latter lace 10 being drawn outwardly through the shoe tongue-eyelet 4 and being passed through the top shoe upper eyelet 2 at the left hand side as clearlyshown in Fig. 1. The laces 9 and 10 are pulled tight and tied in the usual manner. Obviously the shoe tongue`3 will be held in a central position, and further it will be appreciated thatyby reason of the binding of the laces 9 and' 10 in the shoe tongue eyelets the laces will be kprevented from slipping. It is especially 'important in this connection to observe that the lace 10 binds against the lace 9 beneath the tongueat the site of the central eyelet 8 to prevent said lace 9 from slipplng.

f ,Figs 3 discloses a different relative arrangement of the laces 9 and 10 with respect to the shoe tongue eyelets. There the lace brought out through the central eyelet 8. Lace 9 passes inwardly through tongue eyelet 6 and yis brought outwardly through tongue eyelet 5.y thus crossing the lace 10 atthe central eyelet 8. `It is seen therefore that each lace by. frictional engagement with the tongue eyelets Aand. `the tongue will be held against loosening shouldl the shoe be come untied. Obviously-the laces 9 and 10 may have a relatively different arrangement with Vrespect to the tongue than I have shown. For instance, lace 10 might be passed inwardlyV through eyelet 8 and out through eyelet 4 while [lace 9 might be drawn yinwardly through eyelet 6 and out *A10 wardly through eyelet 5 crossing lace `10 at central eyelet 8. It also follows that the reverse of the arrangement just described could be followed with lace 9 being passed through eyelets 8 and 5 and lace `l'through 10 eyelets 7 and 4, the laces crossing at eye et 8`as usual. f

It will be Yappreciated that the advantage of the variable arrangement of lacing with respect to the tongue enables the wearer to shift the position of the laces from time to time so that they will not be uncomfortable and perhaps cause the foot to get sore.

In Fig. 4 it is seen that the tongue 12 is formed with but two eyelets 13 which are in horizontal spaced relation and are disposed slightly below the top eyelets 14 of the shoe upper 15. After passing each lace 16 through both tongue eyelets 13, they are passed through the top eyelets 14: of the shoe upper and subsequently tied. Thus, should the larges become untied the binding of the said laces in the eyelets will prevent them from coming loose. In both forms of the invention the pressure of the foot of the wearer against the tongue and laces and also the binding of the laces against one another and in their eyelets will prevent their becoming loose. A shoe formed with niy invention may if desiredbe Worn as a slipper in that the laces ters Patent is:

In a shoe, the combination of a tongue having a plurality of o enings therein defining a square and having a central opel;- ing Within thesquare so defined and equidistant from each of said openings, laces for binding the shoe upon the foot, said laces beng insertible through different combinations or sets of said tongue openings whereby to hold the said laces in crossed relation and against slipping should the shoe laces become untied, the laces binding in said openings and between the tongue and the foot of the wearer to be thereby held in place.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

ADELBERT D. lVINN. 

